Archive for 'Coffee'

Midtowners Will Never Go Uncaffenaited Again

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For the last few years, in our annual Readers’ Poll, the best coffee category has been the most difficult to narrow down the nominees. It keeps getting harder as we get more and more legit coffee shops serving specialty roasts brewed with all sorts of fancy methods.

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National Coffee Day Means Freebies on Monday

Pick a day of the year and it’s some sort of National [enter food/beverage] Day. But on National Coffee Day Sept. 29, there will be free and discounted caffeine, and we thought you may like to know where to get a cup. Financier locations around the city will be giving out free small cups of their new dark roast with any purchase, and Grand Central has several options. Irving Farm on the dining concourse has a cup of iced coffee involving maple for $2 from 7-9 a.m. and $4 after; Cafe Grumpy in the Lexington Passage is doing a tasting of two coffees from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Zaro’s Bakery in the Shuttle Passage has free upgrades on coffee sizes all day (medium for price of a small, etc.).

New Hole in the Wall Coffee Shop Lives Up To Its Name

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Starbucks really needs to watch their back. We now have a serious and credible coffee culture that just continues to expand. The newest addition to our java scene is aptly named Hole in the Wall nestled inside the lobby of 420 Fifth Avenue. It’s not the first Australian-owned coffee shop in the neighborhood nor the first one “secretly” hidden inside an office building lobby.

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Jacques Torres Pops Up in Grand Central (Cafe Grumpy Coming Soon)

We got word that a pop-up location of chocolate maker Jacques Torres was opening yesterday in the Lexington Passage of Grand Central Terminal. For whatever reason, the shop had an “opening soon” sign on the door late in the day, but the inside looked ready to go- so we’re assuming they’re open today. The pop-up will be open throughout May, then closed for renovation until August when the space will reopen as a permanent fixture.

But wait, there’s more!  Read more »

Hard-to-Find Pennylane is Brewing Quality Coffee

Midtown East is steadily building a good crop of independent coffee houses. Lucid Cafe, Ground Central, Demarco… they all offer an array of great coffee and espresso drinks. Now you can count Pennylane Coffee (45th btw. 1st+2nd) on that list.

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Ground Central is a Cool New Coffee Shop, But is it a Good Lunch Option?

Ground Central Coffee Company, a small coffee shop that opened on 52nd St. (btw Lex+3rd) last month, boasts a lunch menu with sandwiches that sound really good. And with price tags just below and sometimes above the ML limit, you’d expect them to be really good. But before we get to that, let me just say that Ground Central is a really cool coffee shop. It’s got a nice drink menu of coffees and teas and a nicely decorated interior with plenty of seating. It’s definitely somewhere I’d go to relax over a hot drink. They’ve also got a bunch of tasty-looking baked goods like madeleines, chocolate chip cookies, and financiers. And when you buy a sandwich or salad, you get a free drink.

But is it a good lunch option?

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Uncle Gussy’s is Opening a Greek Coffee Cart Today!

Uncle Gussy's Treats Coffee Cart

There have been a lot of new trucks and carts that hit the road this year, but I have to admit that this one has me very excited. The guys from Uncle Gussy’s are opening a coffee cart today and their menu looks awesome. Read more »

Fiend Serves Espresso From A Cart (And It’s 2 for 1 This Week for Midtown Lunchers)

If you’ve been craving an alternative to your regular coffee cart cup of joe but don’t want to resort to Starbucks, an espresso from Fiend is just what you might be looking for. Fiend is, according to its owners, the only cart of its kind in the city with an espresso maker. Situated on the northwest corner of 44th and 6th from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, Fiend grinds Counter Culture beans fresh on the cart and makes a mean latte.

And, good news for Midtown Lunch readers, this week only — from August 12th to 16th — you can take advantage of a 2-for-1 promotion if you mention this article!
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Lucid Cafe’s Iced Coffee Packs a Frosty Jolt

When it comes to coffee, I’m a utilitarian. If all I need is a jolt to sustain me through a long workday, I have no problem choking down a cup of black sludge from the office coffeemaker. But when the summer heat hits, I have to grab an iced coffee on my way to work. For my money, coffee is just better on ice. And at Lucid Cafe (Lex btw. 37th+38th), they’re making it right.

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Italian Coffee Bar Corso is Now Open in the Paramount Hotel

Corso is a month-old Italian coffee bar in the newly renovated Paramount Hotel on 46th street between Times Square and 8th Avenue. It being a coffee bar, breakfast seemed like the logical time to check it out, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had an Italian sandwich menu for lunch as well, albeit pricey at $9-$12. While I made a mental note to try them, I walked in very ready for a morning cup of joe.

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